HoFo Blog

From The Web:

The Pixel 6 is a hit: Google touts “record sales” in Q4 2021

Samsung Galaxy S22, S22+ rumoured to be delayed until March 11

Motorola Edge 30 Pro leaks in renders, confirm the Edge X30 design

FCC proposal would help combat ‘ringless voicemail’ robocalls

CRTC Chair on Drinking in Pub with Bell Exec: Just Beer with a Friend

From The Forums:

Cannot purchase a phone from Tracfone that works on AT&T network anymore

Phone swap from Moto e6 to flip...

Best MVNO when were forced to leave TF

Can I activate an xfinity mobile motorola one ace on verizon prepaid?

Verizon to turn on 2000 additional 5G enabled towers in February

---------
Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
---------

From The Web:

Samsung Galaxy A13 5G review: functional, no-frills 5G

TCL's latest budget 5G phone is now available exclusively through Verizon

The Pixel 4a is no longer listed on the Google Store

Apple might let you use Face ID with a mask in the next iOS update

BlackBerry sells $600 million worth of mobile patents

From The Forums:

Nokia 5.3 Not on AT&T whitelist. Changed to T-Mobile sim. Tracfone said doesn't matter

Issues migrating from AT&T to Verizon with same phone.

How to access text messages on my Cricket Wireless phone when I'm outside of US?

3G Shutoff Date?

Activated a new iPhone XR from Total Wireless on Tracfone

---------
Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
---------

From The Web:

Wordle has been bought by The New York Times, will ‘initially’ remain free for everyone to play

Android Messages beta starts properly displaying iOS Message reactions

OnePlus 9RT review: Two steps forward, one step back

Rogers, Telus, Bell Have Lowered Cellphone Plans by 25% as Agreed, Says Ottawa

Thanks to Joe Rogan, People Forced to Notice That Spotify Sucks

From The Forums:

Legacy Voice and ported landline

Moto G6 Play -- Calls Go Direct To Voicemail

Slow gUDP-will a new mifi help?

---------
Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
---------

It's time for a new thread of the week, our way of recognizing forum members for promoting valuable discussion here.

Every weekday yours truly posts a morning briefing, including the most popular forum threads—that is, the posts with the most replies—for the previous 24 hour period. For reference, here are the briefings for the past seven days:

Your Morning Briefing for Monday, January 24th, 2022
Your Morning Briefing for Tuesday, January 25th, 2022
Your Morning Briefing for Wednesday, January 26th, 2022
Your Morning Briefing for Thursday, January 27th, 2022
Your Morning Briefing for Friday, January 28th, 2022

Remember that the Monday briefing includes forum posts from the prior Friday, Saturday and Sunday, so all weekend posts are similarly eligible.

In each briefing, forum posts are ranked by the number of replies (from highest to lowest). That's subject to change, of course, so I did a quick recount of replies for all forum posts in the briefings above. With 36 replies as of this posting the most popular thread started last week is:

The New Unlocking Thread After 11.23.2021 - All Your Scenarios Answered

Congrats to medontknow for starting our one hundred and twelfth thread of the week! As a small token of our appreciation, please enjoy a monthlong Premium Membership on us. Benefits include ad-free browsing, increased private message count, access to a subscriber-only forum, extra attachment space, a referral/affiliate signature link, the ability to post referrals, and a custom avatar and user title!

---------
Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
---------

From The Web:

Top 10 trending phones of week 4

Flashback: the Moto G was one of the best $200 smartphones you could buy in 2013

AT&T adds $45 / month unlimited prepaid plan with 5G that you can only get at Walmart

Joni Mitchell Pulling Music from Spotify in Solidarity With Neil Young

Spotify finally responds to Joe Rogan controversy with a plan to label podcasts that discuss COVID-19

From The Forums:

Still worth it? A cost analysis.

After 3G shutdown will there be any carriers for older phones?

AT&T Whitelisted TracFones AFAIK

SMS messages are delayed sometimes

New Wal-mart ATT Prepaid Plans

---------
Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
---------

From The Web:

Apple Music Promotes Neil Young Following Removal From Spotify

Is YouTube Music a viable alternative to Spotify? Here’s what you need to know

Thousands of TracFone users saw their numbers ported to other carriers without their consent

Bell Let’s Talk Day 2022 Campaign Raises $8.2 Million

WhatsApp sets its sights on the US

From The Forums:

Tracfone live chat

Newbie's attempt to use points to buy phone

Need Rural Coverage - VZO Prepaid OR Visible?

T-Mobile home internet. KVD21 vs Nokia?

---------
Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
---------

From The Web:

You Can Now Download iOS 15.3 for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch

Apple Music Reported as Second Most Used Music Streaming Service Behind Spotify

The Galaxy S22 series just got 'unpacked' in full ahead of Samsung's event

How to take better night photos with the Pixel 6 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro, or digital camera

Spotify picks Joe Rogan over Neil Young

From The Forums:

Trac-hack?

Moving Active Phone to Another Account

Anybody Notice a Dramatic Increase in Speeds?

AT&T's 5G buildout gets more ambitious

Verizon 5G Home availability expands to 900 cities

---------
Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
---------

From The Web:

Nvidia Quietly Prepares to Abandon $40 Billion Arm Bid

Samsung officially confirms Galaxy Unpacked event on February 9

Xiaomi’s affordable Redmi Note 11 lineup goes global with 5G and 67W fast charging

Boost Celero 5G review: budget phone with budget battery life

Smartwatch blood pressure sensor technology is getting close

From The Forums:

C-band Coverage Map Now Available

Unlock question

LG Stylo 4 vs 5-- which is best?

Swap SIMs / phones within your account

Porting from Tracfone to Tello

---------
Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
---------

From The Web:

Google's first foldable will be a pricey Pixel, but still cheaper than the competition

Microsoft Surface Duo finally receives Android 11 update

MediaTek's Dimensity 9000 beats the SD 8 Gen 1 and Exynos 2200 at Geekbench

Google sued by DC and three states for ‘deceptive’ Android location tracking

Joe Biden Formally Backs Consumers' Right to Repair Their Electronics

From The Forums:

MVNOs that don't require autopay or registration of payment method

Need iPhone with good volume

Google Pixel 6 On AT&T Prepaid

VodaFone UK eSIM - Can't text

Exclusive: We Found T-Mobile's Secret Weapon Against C-Band

---------
Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
---------

It's time for a new thread of the week, our way of recognizing forum members for promoting valuable discussion here.

Every weekday yours truly posts a morning briefing, including the most popular forum threads—that is, the posts with the most replies—for the previous 24 hour period. For reference, here are the briefings for the past seven days:

Your Morning Briefing for Monday, January 17th, 2022
Your Morning Briefing for Tuesday, January 18th, 2022
Your Morning Briefing for Wednesday, January 19th, 2022
Your Morning Briefing for Thursday, January 20th, 2022
Your Morning Briefing for Friday, January 21st, 2022

Remember that the Monday briefing includes forum posts from the prior Friday, Saturday and Sunday, so all weekend posts are similarly eligible.

In each briefing, forum posts are ranked by the number of replies (from highest to lowest). That's subject to change, of course, so I did a quick recount of replies for all forum posts in the briefings above. With 94 replies as of this posting the most popular thread started last week is:

Warning: Bad actors transferring out Tracfone numbers

Congrats to tomseys for starting our one hundred and eleventh thread of the week! As a small token of our appreciation, please enjoy a monthlong Premium Membership on us. Benefits include ad-free browsing, increased private message count, access to a subscriber-only forum, extra attachment space, a referral/affiliate signature link, the ability to post referrals, and a custom avatar and user title!

---------
Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
---------

From The Web:

Top 10 trending phones of week 3

Apple is countersuing Ericsson in the US, seeks import ban on its 5G equipment

Some iPhone 13 users report pink screen issues, Apple says it’s a software bug

A decision on Huawei’s future in Canada might be coming soon: Here’s how we got here

Plaid, the service used by Venmo, Acorns, Robinhood, and more, may owe you some money

From The Forums:

Suggestions for Apps on new android smartphone

TracFone pre-loaded byod SIM kit questions

The New Unlocking Thread After 11.23.2021 - All Your Scenarios Answered

New Personal Hotspot Screen

Question about phone/service for my mother..

---------
Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
---------

From The Web:

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE vs. Google Pixel 6: Make the right choice

Samsung needs to stop pushing its own software and just give Galaxy users what they want

Samsung confirms February Unpacked, hints at the end of the Note line

The 5G Airport Apocalypse Is Incredibly Dumb, Experts Say

Google has it all wrong. Apple's iMessage is actually a failure

From The Forums:

Warning: Bad actors transferring out Tracfone numbers

Did Tracfone just provision VoLTE on my non-certified Samsung A70?

MaxUp, international roaming & eventual 2G sunset

VoLTE Is Finally Working On My A32 5G

611611 does not work?

---------
Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
---------

From The Web:

Samsung unveils Exynos 2200 with Xclipse GPU, based on AMD RDNA2 architecture

Ericsson is suing Apple over 5G patents after licensing negotiations fall through

Here’s what C-Band 5G is, and what Android phones can use it

Samsung Galaxy A13 5G review: Cheap in a good way

Garmin revamps its outdoorsy Fenix 7 and Epix smartwatches

From The Forums:

Not Getting VOLTE (HD Voice) with AT&T whitelisted phone

Can you see your balance in your online account?

Reloading a Three sim in 2022?

MVNO access to C band?

Nokia 2760 flip phone on the way N139DL

---------
Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
---------

From The Web:

Emirates, Air India, and others cancel flights due to AT&T and Verizon’s 5G rollout

Verizon and AT&T begrudgingly agree to avoid airports as they finally turn on C-Band 5G

T-Mobile announces enhanced caller ID service that sounds just like Google Verified Calls

Lawmakers Plan Legislation to ‘Ban Surveillance Advertising’

Canalys: Apple was back on top of the global smartphone market in Q4

From The Forums:

Can't Login to my PagePlusCellular.com account

Does referral immediately show in referrers acount? Who to go to when there's a problem?

TracFone using Verizon Moto E caller can't hear me

Hello mobile's BYOD checker

T-Mobile flaunts new mid-band 5G carrier aggregation capabilities

---------
Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
---------

From The Web:

Google's RCS drama with Apple, explained: More than bubble envy, less than noble

The FCC proposes new data breach rules for phone companies

US airlines warn of ‘catastrophic disruption’ on Wednesday due to 5G activation

Paytm Canada App – Shutting Down

Google to downgrade existing smart speakers after losing Sonos patent case

From The Forums:

Rebel 3 vs Rebel 4?

Unlock ATT Prepaid phone

3G Shutdown questions, caught with my pant down and need new inexpensive phones quick!

Legacy gold rewards & 3G shutoff

Non-5G Phone just started displaying LTE+

---------
Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
---------

It's time for a new thread of the week, our way of recognizing forum members for promoting valuable discussion here.

Every weekday yours truly posts a morning briefing, including the most popular forum threads—that is, the posts with the most replies—for the previous 24 hour period. For reference, here are the briefings for the past seven days:

Your Morning Briefing for Monday, January 10th, 2022
Your Morning Briefing for Tuesday, January 11th, 2022
Your Morning Briefing for Wednesday, January 12th, 2022
Your Morning Briefing for Thursday, January 13th, 2022
Your Morning Briefing for Friday, January 14th, 2022

Remember that the Monday briefing includes forum posts from the prior Friday, Saturday and Sunday, so all weekend posts are similarly eligible.

In each briefing, forum posts are ranked by the number of replies (from highest to lowest). That's subject to change, of course, so I did a quick recount of replies for all forum posts in the briefings above. With 94 replies as of this posting the most popular thread started last week is:

Suggestions for new VoLTE compatible phone

Congrats to RobEll49 for starting our one hundred and tenth thread of the week! As a small token of our appreciation, please enjoy a monthlong Premium Membership on us. Benefits include ad-free browsing, increased private message count, access to a subscriber-only forum, extra attachment space, a referral/affiliate signature link, the ability to post referrals, and a custom avatar and user title!

---------
Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
---------

From The Web:

Sony's $1,000 Xperia 5 III compact finally goes on sale in the US

Pixel 5a review: The best-kept secret in Android

How Apple's iCloud Private Relay Can Keep You Safe

Ten ways to take control of your smartphone

Top 10 trending phones of week 2

From The Forums:

Easy to use phone for senior mom

Text FOUR to 611611

Moto g STYLUS (XT2115DL)

Tracfone stole my DATA balance!! Need advice..

Liberty Wireless $60/year plan question

---------
Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
---------

From The Web:

The real beauty of Wordle is how its emoji results tell a story

Judge says the FTC’s Meta monopoly lawsuit can go forward

WhatsApp Co-Founder Is the New Acting CEO of Signal

Nokia set for major US expansion with five new budget phones and two new wireless partners

The best budget Android phones for 2022

From The Forums:

two year extension

HSN Bundle Activation - What's the longest time you have went before activating phone?

Chat sworn statement?

---------
Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
---------

From The Web:

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE review: just off the mark

Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Galaxy S21 FE: Which one is right for you?

Legacy Google Voice users are in for a rough transition

Firefox Focus gets a privacy boost with Mozilla's Total Cookie Protection

Telus Blocking Apple’s iCloud Private Relay in Canada, Say Customers

From The Forums:

Inactive devices removed from website

Is there a way to contact a higher level of Page Plus tech support?

Conditional Call Forwarding to Google Voice with Tracfone T-Mo BYOP SIM

I have SIM swapped

Can I use S21 and get 5G?

---------
Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
---------